KATI MORA: Improve both your diet and relationship

Thursday, May 2, 2013

When it comes to changing the way you eat, its often overwhelming to think about making changes on your own. For many, tackling a healthy eating goal with a friend or significant other can be a great way to stay accountable and garnish a little extra support. Of course, working together brings on its own set of challenges and you have to be prepared in order to make the most of your team efforts. Otherwise working together could potentially backfire and ultimately hurt your relationship.

If you plan on tackling your healthy eating goals with someone else, here are a few ideas to improve your rate of success:

Clearly outline your goals. Just because youíre working with someone else doesnít necessarily mean that your end goals are the same. Clearly identify what you each hope to get out of the changes you are making to your dietary habits. Perhaps one of you is hoping to lose a few pounds while the other wants to build muscle. These are two different goals, but both probably require a change in eating habits.

Make an action plan. Once you know what each otherís goals are, you can put together a plan of action to help each of you reach them. This action plan may cover things like what activities you plan on doing together or separately, how you feel best supported when making lifestyle changes, and include step-by-step instructions for the changes you plan on implementing. It sounds silly, but having a plan before you make any changes can really help minimize the stress and anxiety you might feel as you change such an important component of your life.

Choose one or two healthy activities to do together. Eating healthy should be fun, so make sure you plan a few fun, health-inspired activities into your routine. Anything from a trip to the local farmerís market to cooking together in the kitchen can be a great way to make healthy eating fun. Plus, many communities offer cooking classes, special farm-to-table events, and even trips to local farms. Get creative and think outside the box. The more you learn about the foods you eat and how to prepare them, the more likely you are to implement those activities in your day-to-day.

Create a Recipe Club. Knowing how to eat and what to eat are two very different things. By setting up a recipe club or swap, you can keep things fun and interesting. You could consider swapping recipe ideas each week or selecting one together so that each of you gets to incorporate your own unique tastes into the experimental dishes. Invite some additional friends, and you can even make this a weekly activity to add to your growing healthy food inspired to-do list.

Decide how to best support each other. Being supportive isnít always the same for every person. For example, my husband sometimes tries and fix my problems when in reality sometimes all I need is someone to tell me its okay and they understand where I am coming from. As a part of your game plan, be sure to let the other person know how you best feel supported and encouraged. This can make a world of difference and help you feel like someone has your back no matter how similar or different your end goals happen to be.

If you are attempting to eat your best this spring, donít be afraid to ask a friend to join you or set clear guidelines as you attempt to reach your goals. Your relationship will be stronger as a result and youíll probably have a lot more fun along the way.

---Kati Mora is a registered dietitian who has called mid-Michigan home for the last ten years. Mora has been featured in Self Magazine, Fitness Magazine, and Diets in Review. Email her at kati@aroundtheplate.org and find her online at AroundthePlate.org or visit her at thePlate Boutique in downtown Mt. Pleasant.